Senior Rabbi Search Updates

Fellow Congregants,

As we enter our period of deepest reflection, it is worth reflecting on the gifts we have received from others in the past year. Of course, I am speaking of the tremendous efforts and thoughtful suggestions of the Hazon Task Force. That work, which is based on input from hundreds of congregants, has been a foundation for the work of the Search Committee. For that we are truly grateful.

Hazon provided over 30 specific suggestions related to the search process, almost all of which will be reflected in some way. Some are relevant to stages of the search that lie ahead of us; others you have already seen. These include:

• Creating a Search Advisory Group, to broaden the perspectives of those directly contributing to the search
• Seeking broad input from a variety of stake-holder groups, as well as from individual congregants
• Deepening involvement of the Board of Directors, specifically with regard to establishing search criteria
• Maximizing visibility throughout the process

Perhaps the most thought-provoking input Hazon provided was their assessment of the most critical criteria for selection of our next rabbi, based on what they heard from congregants. Hazon recommends that our next rabbi should have:

Experience and skills with operating in a congregation that is similar to Beth Am in key dimensions (education, pastoral care, spirituality, worship, size, diversity of opinions on key topics, supervisory and management skills, etc.)

Not surprisingly, these align closely with criteria that congregants themselves have highlighted in recent listening meetings, survey responses, and individual conversations with Search Committee members.  They will certainly guide our search.

• Experience and demonstrable skills with helping people with divergent views feel comfortable within the big tent
• Management skills and leadership experience in addition to other rabbinic skills (e.g. pastoral, teaching)
• Experience with healing or reducing the impact of polarized views on key topics
• Patience to develop the trust of the Congregation by embracing what we do now, and only after that trust is there, start envisioning a future, and leading the Congregation towards that future

Thank you, Hazon, for the strong foundation which you have built, and on which we now stand.

As always you can send comments or questions to search@betham.org — we are eager to hear from you. You can also identify us at Beth Am gatherings by our name-tags, which have chairs on them. Our next update will be after Yom Kippur.  We hope to see you on Yom Kippur afternoon, when we will be leading a study session which will  delve into concepts of leadership.

L’shana tova u’metuka,

Deb Radin, Ben Lloyd and Loree Farrar
Senior Rabbi Search Co-chairs

Fellow Congregants,

As mentioned in our previous updates, we have been seeking congregant input for the Senior Rabbi search throughout the month of August. We will use this in our description of our congregation and our needs, which will be available to potential candidates just after Yom Kippur.

You have two more opportunities to provide input which can be used in that document:

• The Search Advisory Group will be holding an open listening session on Wednesday, September 6 at 7:00 PM in the Beit Kehillah. Anyone who has not yet had the opportunity to join a meeting to share their thoughts is welcome to attend. As with other listening sessions, this will be in-person only; it will not be Zoomed or recorded. Please register so we know how many to expect.
• The Invitation to Provide Input, which has been open throughout the month, will close this coming Friday, September 1. If you haven’t filled it out already, please share how you’d describe the congregation today, and what characteristics and experiences you’d like to see in a Senior Rabbi. You may reply anonymously if you wish. You can also use this to request a 1:1 meeting with a member of the Search Committee. Visit the input form to provide input on the next Senior Rabbi.

Thank you for your thoughtful input.

L’shalom,

Deb Radin, Ben Lloyd and Loree Farrar
Senior Rabbi Search Co-chairs

Kathy Crankshaw and Barbara Ilowsky    
Search Advisory Group Co-chairs    

Fellow Congregants,
 
A lot has happened since our note of August 2: 

• The Search Advisory Group has had its first meeting. Ably led by Barbara Illowsky and Kathy Crankshaw, the group includes Barbara Windham, Beate Klein, Bonnie Slavitt, Carol Kantor, Debra Hershman, Ellen Ratner, Ellen Tafeen, Howard Selznick, Jeffrey Berman, Jeffrey Carmel, Joanne Donsky, Keith Loebner, Marlene Levenson, Margo Horn, Rachael Shea, Shannon Stein, Susan Wolfe and Svetlana Bonner. The Search Advisory Group will be spearheading our coming listening campaign, and will provide a breadth of perspectives throughout the search process. Thank you for stepping up to help with this holy work!
• As mentioned in our last note, we are actively listening to congregants in many ways:
  • We have already received almost 50 responses to the Invitation to Provide Input! Thank you for your thoughtful comments. All congregants are encouraged to share your thoughts; if you haven't yet, feel free to capture them HERE.  The Invitation to Provide Input will be open through the end of August.
  • Search Committee members are meeting individually with any congregant who asks. If you requested a meeting, we will be reaching out within the week to set up a time.
  • The Search Advisory Group is organizing meetings of various interest groups within the congregation during August and September. There will also be a general meeting on Wednesday, September 6 for those who would like to share their ideas in a group setting (details to follow).
• In its recent Board retreat, the Board of Directors spent significant time thinking about its priorities for our next Senior Rabbi, answering the same questions as are in the Invitation to Provide Input. This will be combined with congregant perspectives to create a unified profile for our next leader.

The word sh’ma, to listen, is the most central word in the most central prayer in our liturgy. Indeed, as Rabbi Jonathan Sacks (z’’l) has said, “There is something profoundly spiritual about listening. It is the most effective form of conflict resolution I know. Listening lies at the very heart of relationship. It means that we are open to the other, that we respect them, that their perceptions and feelings matter to us.”

We hope that you will join us on this profoundly spiritual path of listening to each other. As always you can send comments or questions to search@betham.org. We are eager to hear from you. Our next update will be shared on Thurasday, August 24.

L’shalom,

Ben Lloyd | Loree Farrar | Deb Radin
Senior Rabbi Search Committee Co-chairs

Fellow Congregants,

As we begin this journey together, we thought you might like an overview of the entire search process. There are six key stages:

Our governing body, the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) provides both structure and guidance to the process, so that all the congregations are operating on roughly the same schedule as all the rabbis who are seeking new pulpits. All congregations will post their opportunities just after the High Holy Days, and will be meeting and interviewing candidates through the fall and early winter. While this coordination drives some constraints, ultimately it benefits all; we are lucky to have the resources of the URJ behind us.

As congregants, you will be most involved in the Community Listening stage. Your input will be incorporated into our description of ourselves, the Application, and of course will be critical when we get to choosing the best rabbi for Beth Am. You will have many opportunities to share your thoughts; we will be providing more detail soon about hows and wheres.

A quick process check:

Since the last update, the search committee had its first Workshop, developed a brit for ourselves, and built out several of the major work-streams that are outlined in the chart above.

Right now, we are finalizing membership and responsibilities of the Search Advisory Group, and reaching ot to those who had expressed an interest. We are also delving deeply into the recently published Hazon report for learnings both on the search process itself and on Beth Am as a community.

Looking ahead, we will be launching a variety of avenues for listening and input.

Comments or questions? Send them to search@betham.org — we are eager to hear from you. Our next update will be on Thursday, August 10.  

L’shalom, 

Ben Lloyd | Loree Farrar | Deb Radin
Senior Rabbi Search Committee Co-chairs

Fellow Congregants,

We hope you had a wonderful holiday weekend, starting with the inspiring and delightful adult B’nei Mitzvah on Saturday, July 1 (service recording available for streaming). It was lovely to see so many of you there, celebrating this milestone together.

As mentioned two weeks ago, we are committed to maintaining a highly transparent process, and will continue to keep you abreast of our progress. Here’s where we are this week:

Since the last update, we have reviewed all of the many respondents who expressed an interest in helping the search. So many share such deep love and commitment to our community — it is heartwarming. We are also considering multiple models for congregational input.

Right now, we are reaching out personally to everyone who expressed an interest in helping with the search. We are also finalizing the congregational survey.

Looking ahead, we will finalize and announce Search Committee membership, and will begin to gather the Search Advisory Group. We are eagerly awaiting Hazon’s complete report, which will be available to all of us shortly. This will be a key input into the search process.

Comments or questions? Send them to search@betham.org — we are eager to hear from you. Our next update will be available on Thursday, July 20.  

L’shalom, 

Ben Lloyd | Loree Farrar | Deb Radin
Senior Rabbi Search Committee Co-chairs